Bird and packing box



(No Model.)

0 1. WOOSTER.

BIRD AND PACKING BOX. No. 388,385. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES I. WOOSTER, OF BERLIN, NEW JERSEY.

BIRD AND PACKING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 388,385, dated August 21, 1888.

Application filed March 29, 1888. Serial No. 268,858. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES I. WoosTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berlin, in the county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Bird and Packing Boxes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a convertible packing and bird box having one of its ends formed with kerfs, which may readily be cut through, leaving an opening by which the bird can en ter, the said kerfs being concealed or covered by material having thereon lines or marks corresponding with the kerfs in the box.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a bird and packing box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the front wall thereof. Fig. 3 represents a face view of portion of said front wall.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a box, of the form of a bird-box, constructed of the base and floor 1, the front wall, 2, side Walls, 3, back wall, 4, and hinged roof 5. In the front wall are a series of concentric kerfs or scores, 6, which may be cut coincidently in opposite faces of said wall,as most readily seen in Fig. 2. Pasted or otherwise aliixed to either face of the front wall is a piece, 7, of paper or other materiahthe same covering the kerfs or scores 6, and having lines 8, printed or otherwise marked thereon, coinciding with the kerfs or scores 6.

The operation is as follows: The parts of the box separately may be sold to a store-keeper or dealer, and when the box is required for packing purposes it may be readily set up and secured together by a few nails driven through the parts. The hinged roof now constitutes the lid of the box and may be raised in order to pack the box, after which said lid is returned to its normal position, thus closing the box. When the contents are removed, the box as a packing-box may be converted into a bird-box by cutting through either of the marks 8 and scores 6, thus forming the opening or door of the bird-box. It will be seen that the diameter of the door is determined relatively to the size of birds which are expected to become occupants of the box; hence the series of scores provided for different sizes. The covering 7 may be removed prior or subsequent to the cutting through of the scores.

A steeple may be added or not, as desired.

If desired, the kerfs or scores may,primarily, be entirely out through, and the annuli thus formed may be held in place by the coveringpiece 7, or a strip of any suitable material.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a packing-box with ends or sides having kerfs; butI am not aware that the construction herein described and claimed is old, wherein a box having kerfs in its ends, the same being covered or concealed by material having lines or marks thereon corresponding with the kerfs in said ends, so that the kerfs are concealed and the proper kerf to be out can be ascertained without a removal of the covering.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A convertible packing and bird box having in its end concentric kerfs, whereby birdnest doors or openings of different sizes may be readily made, substantially as described.

2. A convertible packing and bird box hav ing kerfs in its ends and having acovering for said kerfs, the said covering having thereon lines or marks corresponding to said kerfs, substantially as described.

3. A convertible packing and bird box consisting of a body having a hinged lid, kerfsiu its ends, and a covering for said kerfs, the said covering having thereon lines or marks corresponding in number and location with said kerfs, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, J N0. K. PLITT. 

